The NFL has been under fire over the last week due to its officiating. More specifically, roughing the passer penalties have become a subject of debate, as two specific calls on Sunday and Monday drew the ire of fans, players and coaches alike. Recently, one NFL coach reportedly decided to make a statement to the league about its officiating.
Every week, the NFL emails an officiating video to all coaches and general managers. This week, according to ESPN, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel hit "reply all," and issued this response to everyone in the email chain:
"I appreciate the time and energy that goes into these videos, but I suggest we devote every minute of our officiating departments' time ensuring our officiating crews are as well trained in the clarifications we worked to create in the off season and that each crew is as consistent as possible. Thank you."
Schefter believes that Vrabel meant to hit "reply all," and make a statement to the league on behalf of the coaches. The reigning NFL Coach of the Year is one of the smartest men to roam the sidelines in today's NFL, and as a former player that spent years under Bill Belichick, he understands how the game is supposed to be officiated.
According to ESPN, the NFL's competition committee plans to discuss roughing the passer penalties after the controversial calls over the past week. Grady Jarrett was flagged for roughing the passer on a Tom Brady sack during a pivotal third down in the fourth quarter that aided in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' victory over the Atlanta Falcons, and then Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones was flagged for strip-sacking Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders.
It's understood that the league wants to protect quarterbacks, but how officials are enforcing these calls lacks consistency, which is what Vrabel is calling for.
